NFF: Breaking down the Pinnick, Giwa drama at the Glass House

With the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) Amaju Pinnick away in Russia on FIFA duties at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Nigerian football descended into chaos on Monday, July 2.

Just like a script of a movie about a coup, self-acclaimed leader of the NFF Chris Giwa on Monday, stormed the Glass House-which is what the NFF headquarters in Abuja is called-with some security agents to assume office as the substantive president of the NFF.

Giwa wasn’t however relenting, he announced himself as NFF boss which prompted the FIFA Emergency Committee to subsequently set a deadline to remove those claiming positions in the NFF that were not recognised by FIFA and restore the Maigari-led committee.

FIFA threatened that if those requirements were not met, the NFF would be suspended.

Giwa filed a suit against Pinnick’s NFF at the Federal high Court in Jos, insisting that the election in Warri was not legitimate.

Even the intervention of an Appeals Committee headed by Barrister Ajunwa with Mallam Sani Mohammed, Mr Dotun Coker, Mr Victor Nwangwu, Mr Bala Garba and the Secretary, Mohammed Sanusi could not resolve the issue.

Pinnick continued as President of the NFF while Giwa persisted with his claims.

Solomon Dalung steps in

playPinnick and Giwa almost came to blows during a meeting organised by the Sports Minister Dalung (Vanguard )

When Muhammadu Buhari won the 2015 Presidential election, he appointed Solomon Dalung as Minister of Sports and one of his first tasks was to put the NFF in order.

But a meeting between Pinnick and Giwa ended with a scuffle between the two parties at the National Stadium Package on Wednesday, January 20, 2016.

The case filed by Giwa at the Federal High Court sitting in Jos was still on with a series of adjournment.

In April 2016, the Federal High Court nullified the September 30 election that voted in Pinnick as NFF boss, reinstating Giwa as the new boss.

Solicitors to Pinnick’s NFF argued that neither their client or Giwa are parties to the suit in Jos and therefore the ruling of the court was not valid.

“The Supreme Court of Nigeria has held times without number that no court of law can issue an Order against a person that is not a party in a suit before a court without joining or hearing from that party and no court of law can also install a party in an office who is not before the court praying for such an order,” Human rights lawyer and counsel to Pinnick, Festus Keyamo said in a statement.

playChris Giwa has been banned for a total of 10 years by NFF and FIFA (Punch)

That didn’t stop Giwa who continued to identify himself as the legitimate president of the NFF.

In June 2016, he and his group again stormed the Glass House where he harassed staff of the federation.

Also in June, the Federal High Court in Jos disowned the ‘writ of execution’ bandied by Giwa. According to the NFF, the Registrar of the Federal High Court, Jos, Gusau revealed that the document used by Giwa did not emanate from the court.

The House of Representatives stepped into the issue and its committee on Sports in June 2016 backed Pinnick as the president of the NFF.

FIFA Extends Giwa’s ban

In a blow for his tussle for the NFF presidency, FIFA in June 2017 extended Giwa’s ban from football to 10 years.

A couple of days later, the Supreme Court dismissed Giwa’s notion against the NFF and fined him N100, 000 as he continued to lose on all front.

After a long halt to the tussle, the Giwa faction returned in April 2018 with a report that the Supreme Court had ousted Pinnick as NFF boss, a report that was quickly dismissed.

It was good again until this week when the Federal Government through the Sports Minister Dalung sacked Pinnick from his office and ordered Giwa to be reinstated as NFF boss.

Nigeria risk FIFA ban

playFIFA insist that Pinnick must remain as President of the NFF (NFF)

FIFA have continued to insist that they did not back the election that voted Giwa as president of NFF and continue to back Pinnick who is in Russia on duties at the 2018 FIFA World Cup.